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An ok shampoo which doesn't tick every box

Typically I'm not a huge girly girl and so don't tend to shop in stores like the Body Shop or Lush mostly as a result of limited funds. However, at Christmas I wanted to spoil myself and so purchased a few items I wouldn't typically. I've used this shampoo and the accompanying conditioner on and off since then and have had mixed results really.

One positive of the shampoo is that it lathers up really well. This means that application is easy and I don't have to waste too much of the shampoo in one wash. My hair is about shoulder length and thin so I'm forced to wash it more often than I should and this shampoo is still going strong. However, like I said previously, I haven't been using this everyday but more like once or twice a week if I happen to choose it from my stock of shampoos. For me, and this is quite a big positive as often this is not the case for my hair type, I do feel as though it leaves my hair feeling really clean and soft afterwards. Unlike other shampoos however where they leave it looking shiny and full of body, with this bottle this is simply not the case. It feels great but for me doesn't look great.

The shampoo is see through and thick. It has a nice consistency which like I say means it lathers up very well although producing only a thin layer that sits on my hair. The bottle is only very simple with a minor Rainforest inspired image on the side, and the lid is a simple flip up lid. I do sometimes struggle to get the contents out as my hands are actually too small and so I have to give it quite a good squeeze from time to time as the bottle is a little sturdier than the store brand shampoos I tend to rely on.

As soon as you open up the bottle you are met with a very strong, but not overpowering, woody scent which I imagine smells like a rainforest which is the scent they are attempting to mimic (although that said I've never been to a rainforest and have no idea what that even smells like lol). It isn't the fruity scent I'm used to from many hair care products I have used, however it is very unexpectedly pleasant. The scent is very refreshing and has a natural quality to it.

The shampoo rinses out really easily unlike other thicker ones and doesn't leave any residue behind. My hair is only thin however and I do worry that for someone with thicker hair it just wouldn't have the same result, and indeed anyone with dyed hair. Like I said before, it just doesn't produce a shiny result and so I'd worry about the effect it may have on less manageable hair. Similarly I haven't noticed any moisturising benefits even though I have been using the accompanying conditioner which I found disappointing. The main benefit for me was that my hair did feel genuinely clean but that's sadly where it ended.

The cost of my bottle which I believe is 250ml was around £4 which is way too expensive for someone on my budget and is only something I would buy as a treat. However, because of the results of this shampoo I don't think I would treat myself to it when the results are very similar to many much cheaper products.

Overall this is an ok product but I don't think it is much better than the hundreds of cheaper alternatives on the market. The smell is delicious and it does result in very clean, smooth hair, but I have a 'normal' hair type and so I'm unsure if this would be universal of different, less smooth in the first place hair types. I must say I was a bit disappointed as the price really got my hopes up and I was expecting something a little more of a natural, well respected brand. I don't think that I would buy it again and will probably be sticking to cheaper alternatives.

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fails to perform to a high standard

~Rainforest Radiance~

Today I am reviewing the Rainforest Radiance Shampoo offered by Body Shop. This shampoo is aimed at those with coloured hair.

Body Shop claim that this shampoo will 'gently cleanse' your hair. Dulling residues will be removed and colour will be prolonged. This shampoo should also leave your hair moisturised and shiny. It is recommended that you dispense this shampoo onto wet hands and form a lather before applying it to your hair and scalp.

Body Shop state this this shampoo doesn't contain any sulphates, parabens, colourants or silicones. The lengthy ingredients list includes pracaxi oil, linseed oil, bilberry extract and Community Trade sugarcane. A UV filter is also included.

~Packaging~

Regardless of what size of bottle you purchase, the packaging is almost identical. This shampoo is presented a round, greeny coloured plastic bottle which features a flip top cap. The label on the bottle includes the important product information. The bottle can be recycled and this shampoo has a 12 month shelf life.

~Price and Availability~

Rainforest Radiance is available in Body Shop stores and from www.bodyshop.co.uk.

*60ml - £2.00*250ml - £4.50*400ml - £6.50

As you can see, the 400ml works out best value for money. Body Shop often have special offers on their website which entitle buyers to up to 50% off. A good time to stock up!

~My Thoughts~

I can't say that I am a major fan of Body Shop products but I have had good experiences with their hair care range in the past. I actually received 2 x 60ml bottle each of the Rainforest Raidiance Shampoo and Conditioner in a beauty hamper I won through a charity auction page on Facebook. I had planned on giving the mini bottles to my Mum to take on holiday but needed to use them myself after running out of my regular Avon hair care products.

At the moment, I have shoulder length, thick coloured hair. I dye my hair at home and usually opt for hair care products which may help prolong my colour and the shine of my hair. I also need a hair care range which won't dry out my already damaged hair. I'm not asking for much am I? Anyway, the little bottle I have is easy to squeeze which is a must when standing in the shower with water in my eyes.

The shampoo itself is clear and quite thick. I have tried different ways of applying this. I followed the directions on the bottle and tried to lather it up in my hands but found the lather to be minimal. I tried lathering it up on soaking wet hair and found this worked a little better but not by much. Due to how thick and gel like this shampoo is, it takes an absolute age to form a half decent lather. I like a thick, luxurious lather and this shampoo fails to deliver this even with a huge blob of shampoo per use.

The scent of this shampoo is very appealing and noticeable from the moment I flip open the lid. It is sweet, fruity and reminds me of blueberry muffins or something equally as delicious. It in an unusual scent for a shampoo but it is quite refreshing and appealing to me personally. The small amount of lather produced by this shampoo is easy to rinse away leaving no noticeable residue.

I cannot say that I have been totally impressed with how well this shampoo performs. After rinsing, my hair does feel cleansed and the fruity scent lingers for a short while. This shampoo is gentle on my scalp and doesn't irritate the dry areas further. This shampoo fails to leave my hair feeling moisturised or soft. I do follow up with a conditioner and in this case, the matching conditioner but I would expect a shampoo (which claims to moisturise) to offer some level of softness but it simply doesn't perform to an acceptable standard.

Perhaps those with normal hair would experience something more from this shampoo but it doesn't seem to get on well with my dry, unruly hair. My hair does feel refreshed but that is as far as it goes. I wouldn't say that there was a noticeable shine from using the shampoo alone. A conditioner is definitely required.

~Conclusion~

I have been using this shampoo and the matching conditioner for the past 2 weeks or so and have nearly finished my second 60ml bottle. I wash my hair every second or third day usually but find that my hair starts to feel a bit 'dirty' after a day or so after using this shampoo. If you have undamaged, regular hair then this shampoo may be a half decent choice but I personally find it to be very basic, overpriced and not very good value for money. I won't be buying it.

Thanks for reading :)

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See review.

On my last visit to the Body shop I bought this shampoo, I bought it on offer for 3 for the price of 2 and so I thought it would be a good idea to buy it to see how it worked for my hair. I have coloured hair and so this one I thought would maybe help my hair stay in a good condition. Body shop is a good one and they sell lots of beautiful items.

I bought the trial size of this shampoo, it comes in a small transparent plastic bottle which has a flip lid. It is a 60ml bottle and just has the label on the front of which has a flowers as the design. I did find that this bottle was quite hard to squeeze the shampoo from it after the first couple of applications and I found that it was really difficult to release the shampoo from it and I had quite difficulty squeezing it because I have problems with my hands when squeezing sometimes. If like me you have difficulty squeezing bottles sometimes I would suggest bearing this in mind when purchasing this shampoo.

The shampoo does have a slight fragrance to it of which just smells of perfume. It is a pleasant smell. The shampoo is a rich texture, it is extremely soft and is a clear liquid. It lathers really well and creates lots of bubbles. The bubbles and shampoo does not drip form the hair while washing it and so is a bonus because some shampoos do drip from the hair but this one is super. It makes for a quick, comfortable washing of the hair. I can feel the softness while I am washing my hair with this one and I can feel it softening it very well. It is designed to moisturise the hair and in my opinion I think it does what it is designed to do because my hair felt nice and soft after I rinsed it from my hair. It is also very easy to rinse too from the hair too. The shampoo doesn't drip from the bottle because it is quite a rich consistency.

It claims to contain no silicones, no sulphates and no colourants. It also claims to remove dulling residues for prolonged radiance, hence the name of this shampoo. It also claims to moisturise and protect shine. I would say it does moisturise very well and it does leave my hair with a little shine but no more than if I used another product. But it does moisturise perfectly and does leave it a lot more tangle free than some other brands.

Only a small amount is needed with this one because it is quite rich and so a little does go a very long way. It hasn't left my hair looking dull at all.

I has left my hair feeling nice and soft and tangle free. I really like this shampoo and I find it works well for my coloured hair.

It also contains UV filter, linseed oil, bilberry extract, pracaxi oil and community trade sugar. All lovely ingredients to help make this shampoo a nice product.

I would buy it again but only if it was available in a larger size. I have checked the website and I cannot find a larger size. If this one was available in a larger sized bottle I would definitely buy it but I wouldn't buy the smaller sized bottle again because of the difficulty I had when trying to squeeze it.

I really think this one is ideal for a travelling shampoo if you are going away on holiday or for an overnight stay. I think it is also ideal as a stocking filler or as a gift for a birthday etc too.

I do highly recommend this one for anyone to give it a go. It is a really good quality shampoo and works superbly for coloured hair. It does give my hair all the results that I expect from a branded shampoo. It is very good value for the price and when sold on special offer it is well worth a go in my opinion. It is affordable and if you have never bought a Body shop shampoo before it is a good price to buy to try it and to see how it works for your coloured hair.

I give this one 4 stars only because of the problem squeezing it from the bottle if you have problems like I do with my hands.

Also on Ciao under my username Pinky50.

Thank you for reading my review and I hope it has been of some help.

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A lovely-smelling shampoo, but disappointing results.

Over the last few years I have a found a couple of shampoo and conditioner products that I really like and therefore I tend to stick to buying these same products all the time, as I am more than happy with the product and the results I get when using them.So when my daughter bought me some shampoo and conditioner from the The Body Shop, I must admit they are products which I probably never would have purchased myself. Having said that, I was very pleased with the gift and looked forward to trying them.

Rainforest Radiance Shampoo is part of a range from The Body Shop which promotes the hard work that goes into helping to protect our planet.On reading that this shampoo contains no silicones, sulphates, parabens or colourants, I immediately thought of the appeal it will have to many, particular as it is free from parabens. These products are gaining in popularity as more people become aware of what goes into the products we use on our body and hair every day and effects on the environment.The Body Shop state this product meets their eco-conscious standard and therefore it is 'respectful to the aquatic environment, meets strict biodegradability standards, and minimises the use of non-sustainable packaging resources.'

The bottle itself is attractive, although a basic style with flip-top, the label around the clear bottle offers plenty of information about the product. Rainforest Radiance Shampoo is formulated for coloured hair and is designed to prolong colour radiance to your hair and remove dulling residues. As you would expect from a shampoo designed for coloured hair, Rainforest Radiance also boasts of moisturising and protecting shine.The shampoo contains UV filter and also contains pracaxi oil, bilberry extract, linseed oil and Community Trade sugar.

When I received this shampoo I flipped open the lid and immediately liked the fragrance of the shampoo which reminded me of the old Herbal Essences range which Clairol used to produce before they changed the range. I miss that range and thought after smelling this shampoo that maybe it would be similar.

Unfortunately the similarities ended there for me. As I squeezed some of the shampoo from the bottle I was surprised by how thick the consistency of this shampoo is, as it came out in a gel-like dollop on my hand. Because of this, I found it very difficult to massage into my hair and also it does not lather very well. I found it takes a bit of effort and perseverance, as well as quite a generous amount of the shampoo, to cover my hair and work up a half-decent lather. Apparently this is common with shampoo that is free from silicones etc.Another thing I noticed was that it does not seem to make my hair feel as soft as it does when I use my usual shampoo.

The first time I used this shampoo I used the matching conditioner also and was very disappointed with the results. My hair felt dry and looked dull and also felt tangled. I have coloured hair and want a product to leave my hair feeling soft and moisturised as well as shiny. I didn't achieve anything like that when using the shampoo and conditioner, in fact my hair had felt better before I actually washed it!

Not one to be put off right away, I used this shampoo again but instead of using the matching conditioner, I used my usual conditioner and found that the results were better, although not as good as when I use my usual shampoo. Rainforest Radiance shampoo cleanses my hair, but my hair tends to feel a little dry afterwards, even when using my preferred conditioner. Of course colouring your hair can make it dry which is why moisturising shampoo and conditioner is important, yet this shampoo despite its lovely smell and the fact it cleanses your hair, fell short of leaving it feeling moisturised. I also find it takes a bit of getting used to when applying it to your hair because of its very thick consistency.I have tried shampoo and conditioners in the past which are specially formulated for coloured hair and have found all of them actually leave my hair feeling dry, so this is not something that only applies to this product. Indeed it seems to be quite common in my experience. I personally find other moisturising shampoo and conditioners which are not specifically for coloured hair, give me much better results.

I am using this shampoo now and then along with my preferred conditioner, just to use it up, but I won't be buying it afterwards. I didn't mind the fact that it took more effort to use this shampoo, I can live with that and also the smell is lovely. However it is the results I achieve after washing my hair with it which is important and I wasn't impressed. I wouldn't mind trying one of the other shampoo or conditioners in this range to see if they work better on my hair, but I can't say I'll be sorry when my bottle of this particular shampoo is empty.

A 250ml bottle costs £4.00 from the Body Shop, so it isn't exactly cheap either.